Multicylinder double-acting hotgas reciprocating engine



Jan. 5, 1954 J. w. KOHLER MULTICYLINDER DOUBLE-ACTING HOT-GAS RECIPROCATING ENGINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 10, 1951 .3 5* f6 f5 5 6 f9 30 7 & $985 INVENTOR Jocob Willem Laurens Kbhler Jan. 5, 1954 J. w. L. KGHLER MULTICYLINDER DOUBLE-ACTING HOT-GAS RECIPROCATING ENGINE Filed Nov. 10, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 las/ 5 l INVENTOR Jacob Willem Laurens Kbhler By Agent Patented Jan. 5, 1954 MULTICYLINDER DOUBLE-ACTING HOT- GAS RECIPROCATING ENGINE Jacob Willem Laurens Kiihler, Eindhoven, Netherlands, assignor to Hartford National Bank and Trust Company, Hartford, Conn., trustee Application November 10, 1951, Serial No. 255,778

Claims priority, application Netherlands November 24, 1950 4 Claims.

This invention relates to multi-cylinder double- ...acting hot-gas recprocatingengines of the type in which each hot chamber located at one side of a cylinder is connected through a heater, a regenerator and a cooler to a cold chamber located at the opposite side of another cylinder, the coolers surrounding the cold chambers of the cylinders.

According to the invent on, a hot-gas engine occupied by the heater.

case.

engine the heater.

pletely occupied by the heater.

chamber, the working medium will experience 2 s considerable resistance of flow in flowing from the cooler to the cold chamber and back. In order to reduce this flow resistance, guide blades are provided in the connection between cooler and cold chamber in the known engine.

In the construction according to the invention, the cooler directly adjoins the cold chamber thus materially improving the flow to and from the cooler so that guide blades may, in general,

of the said type is characterised in that each m be d spensed with.

cooler directly adjoins the cold chamber sur- Furthermore, in the engine according to the inrounded by this cooler, and the regenerator divention, similarly to another hitherto known hotrectly adjoins the other end of the cooler, the gas reciprocating engine, which is constructed connections between the regenerators and the as a replacer engine, the cold chamber is surassociated hot chambers being at least partly rounded by a cooler which permits the cold chamber to be readily maintained at the de- In known double-acting hot-gas reciprocating sired temperature and the emciency of the en- "engines, the position of heaters, regenerators gine to be improved.

and coolers is such that one end of the heater For the sake of completeness, it is pointed directly adjoins the hot chamber, the regenerator out that in a two-cylinder single-acting hotdirectly adjoining the other end of the heater, gas reciprocating engine, wherein one cylinder and the cooler directly adjoins the regenerator. comprises the hot chamber and the other cylinder In this construction, the cooler surrounds a comprises the cold chamber, and the two cylincold chamber which does not form part of the H ders are interconnected at the top through a cycle from which heat energy is withdrawn by heater, regenerator and cooler it is known to means of this cooler. A connection is provided connect the cooler directly to the cold chamber. between the cooler and its corresponding cold In this construction, however, t Problem Solved chamber in the other cylinder. This connection by the present invention, viz by the provision is, in general, recessed in the cylinder block of of a thermodynami y Optimum connection the engine and located at the side of the crank between the top of one cylinder and the bottom of another cylinder, does not arise.

It has now been found that the provision of In order that the invention may be more clearly the said connection in the said position adversely understood and readily Carried o effect. it will affects the efiiciency and a power output of the now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

In order to mitigate this adverse effect, the s. 1 nd 2 Show views partly in section and cooler, in the construction according to the inpart y in elevation of two embodiments of the vention, is arranged about the corresponding hots rec pr cating engine according to the cold chamber and the regenerator is arranged invention. with its cold end directly against the other end The hot-gas reciprocating engine shown in of said cooler. In this construction, the heater Fig. 1 is a four-cylinder double-acting hot-gas may surround or may not surround the assoreciprocating engine avi a fill-Shaped heater ciated hot chamber. A connection, if any, may and 2 Shows a four-cylinder double-acting be located either between the heater and the hot-gas reciprocating engine having a tubular hot chamber or between the regenerator and heater.

Since, however, there is no driv- Referring now to Fig. 1, pistons 2, 4, 6 and 8 ing mechanism at this side of the engine, the reciprocate in cylinders I, 3, 5 and 1, r connection between the regenerator and the hot tively. A chamber 9 above piston 2 is connected space may alternatively be such as to be comthrough a heater It], a regenerator H and a This may, for cooler ii. to a chamber 13 below piston 4. Simiexample, occur if the heater is a tubular heater. larly, a chamber I l above piston 4 is connected In the known double-acting hot-gas reciprothrough a heater IS, a regenerator l6 and a cooler cating engine, which comprises a comparatively I? to a chamber I8 below piston 6. A chamber large connection between the cooler and the cold It) above piston 6 is connected through a heater 20, a regenerator 2| and a cooler 22 to a. cham- 3 ber 23 below piston 8. Similarly, a chamber 24 above piston 8 is connected through a heater 25, a regenerator 2'6 and a cooler 2! to a chamber 28 below piston ,2.

The chambers 9, 1.4, l9 and F2! are the hot chambers of the hot-gas reciprocat ng engine, the chambers l3, I8, 23 and 28 being its cold spaces. The p stons 2, 4, 6 and 8 are connected to a crank shaft 33 through connecting rod mechanisms 29, 30, 3| and 32, respectively.

Heat energy is supplied by burners 4, 35, .35 and 31 to the heaters l0, 20 and :25, respectively. Coolers l2, I1, 22 and 2 1 surround directly the associated cold chambers. The cold terminal surface of each regenerator directly adjoins the associated cooler. The connection between regenerators and hot chambers contain the heaters. This construction yields under similar conditions, an increase in power output of more than over known double-acting hot-gas reciprocating engines.

Fig. 2, elements corresponding to those of the engine shown Fig. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. The heaters of this engine are tubular heaters consisting of pipes 46. These pipes adjoin ring ducts M, 42, 43 and M which are connected to the hot chambers 9, l4, l9 and 24 through conduits 45, 46, 41 and 48. Ring burners 49, 50, 5i and 52 supplying heat energy to the tubular heaters.

What I claim is:

1. A multi-cylinder, double-acting hot-gas reciprocating engine comprising a heater, regenerator, cooler, and hot and cold chambers in each cylinder wherein each hot chamber is connected ugh a a e a ge era orand a cooler to the cold chamber of another cylinder, and said 4 cooler surrounds said cold chamber and has part thereof abutting the latter, said regenerator being also positioned to abut said cooler, and the connection between said regenerator and said hot chamber being at least partly occupied by said heater.

2. A multi-cylinder, double-acting hot-gas reciprocating engine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said heaters comprise a plurality of pipes.

8. A multi-cylinder, double-acting hot-gas reciprocating engine comprising a heater, regenerator, cooler, and hot and cold chambers in each cylinder wherein each hot chamber is connected through a heater to a regenerator, cooler and cold chamber of another cylinder, and said cooler surrounds said cold chamber and has part thereof abutting the latter, said regenerator being also positioned to abut said cooler, and the connection between said regenerator and said hot chamber being at least partly occupied by said heater.

4. A multi-cylinder, double-acting hot-gas reciprocating engine as claimed in claim 3 wherein said heaters comprise a plurality of pipes, each connected to its associated hot chamber by means of a conduit.

JACOB WILLEM LAURENS KGHLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 33$,153 ,Babcock Jan. 12, 1886 2,486,081 Van Weenen Oct. 25, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 477 Great Britain r Jan. 12, 1886 

